1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns a slide-on multi-level basket especially useful for stacking or nesting at alternate heights for storing baked goods such as cake, buns, and bread loaves therein. The slide-on multi-level basket hereof is advantageously configured to receive a second, complimentarily configured basket thereon; enabling the second basket to slide onto the first basket so that the two can be stacked at a first or second level in superposed relationship.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is now well-known in the operation of bakeries to provide a rigid supporting container or basket to protect baked goods from damage incident to handling and transport thereof. In most recent years, bakeries have produced a variety of different baked goods, such as loaves, cakes, and hamburger buns. Each of these products is conventionally produced in different product heights, resulting in the need to economically protect those goods while avoiding the necessity for having different baskets for each product.
As a result, there have been developed a number of different multi-level stacking baskets which are advantageously designed to stack or nest at different levels according to the height of the product contained therein. For example, a second basket could be superposed over a first basket at a first, lower level for hamburger buns, and at a second, upper level for loaves of bread. The availability of multi-level baskets has reduced the need for an increased inventory of specialty baskets for each product. Examples of different stacking baskets include those shown in the following: U.S. Pat. No. 3,387,740 to Bockenstette; U.S. Pat. No. 3,420,402 to Frater et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,392,875 to Bockenstette; U.S. Pat. No. 4,093,070 to Stahl; U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,623 to Carroll et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,624 to Thurman; U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,625 to Carroll et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,052 to Carroll et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,211,327 to Stahl et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,320,837 to Carroll et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,440,302 to Ehrman et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,001 to Stahl et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,928 to Wilson; U.S. Pat. No. 4,523,681 to Kreeger; U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,103 to Tabler; U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,393 to Veenman et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,366 to Kreeger; U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,310 to Deaton et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,451 to Apps.
However, a difficulty inherent in those baskets able to nest or stack at alternate levels was their inability to alternately stack or nest without aligning the upper basket directly over the lower basket. Oftentimes, the baskets' configuration required that the user place the second basket immediately over the first basket for them to stack or nest. This presents a huge problem in practice, as stacks of baskets may often reach six to eight feet in height. Stacking or unstacking the baskets has proved difficult, especially for shorter people handling very tall stacks. It is to the solution of this and other problems to which the present invention is directed.